Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Episode 44.
Gunter walked slowly.
Thump-
His vision was obscured.
The sound of an unfamiliar steel floor echoed in his ears.
As soon as he arrived at the rendezvous point, a hood was placed over his face without any prior explanation, and he was dragged away.
That was two hours ago.
Tense breaths and curses followed one after another around him.
“Hoo, hoo.”
“…Damn it, I can’t breathe.”
“Hey! Damn it, are you even listening?”
More than half of them turned their heads back and forth as if trying to gain vision under the hood, or dragged their feet, slowing their pace.
Many showed slight tremors in their fingertips or toes, even as they held their heads high, pretending to be brave.
But there was one exception.
Gunter.
There was no tension or hesitation in his demeanor.
Even as he was being dragged to an unknown location, he took each step with clarity and composure.
“Gunter. It feels like someone’s staring at me. I can feel their gaze!”
“…Of course, they’re staring.”
“Oh? That’s right. Please take care of us, everyone!”
It was a stark contrast to the person flailing around next to him.
Moon Wolf, watching his bold demeanor, let a small smile spread across his lips.
Beyond the mask, his red eyes never left Gunter.
“Hmm.”
And this unusual sight of the blunt acting leader showing interest only in a specific candidate was clearly noticed by the escort, Eating Snake.
Swish-
Jedriel gave a meaningful smile and subtly moved closer to Gunter.
Moon Wolf’s gaze turned cold, but he paid it no mind.
Nagging could wait.
What mattered more was his curiosity about this newcomer.
“Junior~.”
Poke-
He poked Gunter in the side.
Normally, one would be startled, scream, or flinch.
But the response was a calm reply.
“Yes.”
He liked him.
“Your breathing is so steady?”
“…Yes?”
“Usually, people try to calm their nerves by taking deep breaths, even if forced. But you… you’re so natural, as if you’re just taking a stroll in front of your house.”
“……?”
“Oops, we’re meeting for the first time, and I’ve said too much unnecessary stuff?”
Despite his innocent tone, his voice was hoarse and rough.
It wasn’t a natural vocalization, but a sound that seemed twisted, cracked, and forced out.
Gunter naturally recalled the character setting.
An assassin who suffered vocal cord damage from torture at a young age.
“Aren’t we meeting for the first time?”
“Huh?”
“…Aren’t you the senior who was on the ceiling of Haven?”
A brief silence followed.
Then came a hollow laugh.
“…How did you know?”
Gunter answered vaguely.
“Your breathing.”
And that clumsy answer brought an unexpected result.
Ting-!
“Wow… You really are something else.”
[Jedriel’s Affinity is unlocked]
“I wondered how you managed to charm that block of wood, but there was a reason!”
Jedriel clapped Gunter on the shoulder familiarly.
Though he couldn’t see, Gunter bowed his head in that direction.
Laughter erupted once more.
Jedriel continued to talk.
“I like it. I like it a lot. You. You’re strangely calm. Do you know your peers were all frozen stiff?”
Gunter realized belatedly.
The sound of footsteps filling the surroundings had significantly decreased.
“My peers… Where did they go?”
“Heh heh, what. Did I sell them off?”
Jedriel, who had been laughing with a bad joke, turned serious again.
“The initiation ceremony is at dawn. Until then, everyone will spend time quietly in their own rooms. You’ll need time to sort out your thoughts, won’t you?”
“Sort out my thoughts…?”
“Yes, once you join, there’s no turning back.”
…These were settings not present in the main story.
However, considering the nature of a Secret Society, it wasn’t an unusual procedure to have.
“Here, this is your room. And you, big guy, the room next door.”
A gentle push on the back.
Immediately, the heavy sound of a steel door closing was heard.
By then, the hood’s knot had been untied.
“Think about it carefully too. You can still back out. It’s a shame, but we’ll send you back nicely~.”
The playful voice quickly faded away.
Gunter blinked and looked around the room.
‘…Sorting out thoughts.’
For Gunter, who had already made up his mind, it was an unnecessary procedure.
However, considering the days he had run without rest, this forced break felt somewhat welcome.
Gunter exhaled a breath he had been holding and sat down on the bed.
“……”
The room was cramped.
Under the dim lighting, the only furniture provided were the bed he sat on and a small table.
Surprisingly, a bottle of alcohol and a glass were placed on the table.
‘…This is quite expensive liquor.’
It was probably a small gesture for the candidates who would spend time in tension until dawn.
However, it was still too early to pick it up.
…What caught Gunter’s eye was something else.
A half-open drawer.
Inside lay an old notebook.
‘What is this?’
Gunter picked it up without much thought.
The leather cover, imbued with the scent of heavy dust, bore the stiff title, <Overview of the Execution Squad>.
‘Hmm, there’s something like this too.’
Was it to inform the candidates, who were about to join, about the unit they would belong to?
As expected, reality was much more detailed than games.
Gunter’s eyes traced the letters slowly with interest.
《Overview of the Execution Squad》
The Execution Squad is a special detachment of Night Crow.
Their missions are broadly divided into two categories.
First, they are deployed for missions deemed ‘high-risk’ by superiors.
Examples include intervening in large-scale offering rituals or descent rituals, assassinating high-ranking clergy, and recovering Forbidden Books and dangerous divine objects.
Second, when other units encounter difficulties, they are dispatched upon receiving their request for support.
Their mission is to resolve stalemates through close cooperation.
…Therefore, the deployment of the Execution Squad signifies a crisis.
To be the first to break through the darkness that no one else wants to enter.
That is our duty.
‘Hoho.’
Gunter was inwardly impressed.
It was a statement filled with strong pride.
Although it carried a warning of danger, for those who gathered with the intent to overthrow Rutian, it would only fuel their fire.
‘This notebook was meant to boost the candidates’ morale before the initiation ceremony.’
Even he, who already knew what kind of unit the Execution Squad was, felt a surge of emotion.
Gunter turned to the next page.
‘……?’
Contrary to his expectations, there were no grand pronouncements or encouraging words.
Only short, abrupt, and cryptic sentences were scattered.
Gunter traced each line with a puzzled expression.
-
Duty finished, leave begins.
-
They said this mission was really easy, what bullshit.
-
Brothers, fight to the end!
-
My gear to the juniors, my debts to the commander.
-
Polish your swords often, blood hardens fast.
Gunter tilted his head.
‘This is….’
-
Someone else will write the reports now.
-
Hmm, this feeling is not good.
-
Elaine, Daddy’s coming.
-
It wasn’t a flame worth throwing away the rest of my life for.
-
Long live the 4th Platoon.
Gunter realized these were the last words left by the seniors of the Execution Squad.
Beneath each last word, there was no name, only the cohort and codename were appended.
Snap
As if entranced, Gunter turned to the last page.
There, a single question remained.
“Why did you choose this path?”
Below it, as if to write an answer, was a blank memo page and a quill pen.
‘…Hmm.’
Gunter was momentarily struck by a strange sense of alienation.
And soon, he realized its nature.
He was an isekai.
He held no great grudge against Rutian.
He had never lost family, homeland, or friends.
Although he was thoroughly defeated by the Paladin in Act 1, Scene 1, he had already avenged that.
Therefore, his feelings towards Rutian could not be the same as theirs.
It was merely an outsider’s aversion, not a burning hatred.
‘The goal of ‘Overthrow Rutian’ hasn’t faded, but….’
He reaffirmed that he could not fight for the same reasons as everyone around him, and those he would face in the future.
Thump-
…He felt it would be a vile desecration to write something in front of these records, so Gunter ultimately wrote nothing and put the notebook down.
And then.
“Gunter.”
Through the thin wall, a familiar voice called him.
.
.
.
“Kuh! This is good liquor!”
Ryan’s cheerful voice boomed through the wall.
It was enough to worry if people in other rooms could sleep.
He quickly emptied his glass, shouting a toast excitedly each time.
“Cheers!”
“Another one!”
“Alright, cheers again!”
“How long has it been since we had a drink, huh?”
I poured more liquor without a word and drank.
But even as the heat of the alcohol went down my throat, the unpleasant feeling didn’t quite dissipate.
“Thanks, Gunter.”
“…For what, again?”
“What do you mean, for everything.”
He repeated the same words several times, perhaps drunk.
And then, silence fell.
Only the sound of emptying and refilling glasses continued intermittently.
In the dim room, I too was slowly getting drunk.
I would have dozed off if Ryan hadn’t suddenly broken the silence.
Yesterday’s fatigue was immense.
“By the way, what did you write?”
“…Who knows.”
“Well… if it’s you, you probably wrote something magnificent.”
“What about you?”
Silence again.
It was rare for the conversation to stop when it was just Ryan and me.
This time, the silence was even longer.
So long that I almost forgot Ryan was on the other side of the wall.
Then, very quietly, a voice leaked out.
“Everyone is dead.”
“……”
“My dad, my mom, my little sister too.”
I raised my glass.
“They poured molten lead and boiling oil over their heads. I didn’t see it happen. I was running like hell, and damn it, I was nine years old.”
“……”
“I heard it later, much later.”
[Lost family to the Rutian Theocracy at a young age]
This was written on Ryan’s character sheet.
I poured more liquor.
Ryan laughed.
“Heh heh, I like that you don’t force yourself to speak. Is that why women like you?”
“No, it’s because of my face.”
“…You damn bastard.”
It was fortunate we were talking through a wall.
Seeing the crestfallen face of the 195cm giant would have been too much even for my stomach, trained over the past three years.
A sigh-like sound continued.
“You know, Gunter.”
“Tell me.”
“I haven’t been able to hate those bastards to my heart’s content until now?”
“Why.”
“Hatred and revenge are siblings.”
I mulled over his words.
“If I hate them, I have to get revenge. So I chose to live cowardly. I don’t remember well because I was young~. Am I the only orphan in this harsh world~ like this.”
“……”
“So, I can’t help but be grateful. Thank you, Gunter.”
“…Yeah.”
“Thank you for giving me this chance, for letting me live properly. I mean it.”
Ryan continued to ramble.
“…You must have your own unspoken circumstances, you’re a man full of secrets.”
I didn’t bother to deny it.
“But if you ever need my help, tell me. I’ll risk my life to help you.”
I knew it wasn’t an empty promise.
The deaths Ryan couldn’t remember were proof of that.
Clink- I looked at the empty bottle.
“…I finished it.”
“Really? I’m done too.”
I got up from my seat.
I heard rustling sounds from the other side as well.
“Then let’s go.”
“Sounds good.”
Thud-
At the end of the corridor, heavy footsteps echoed, breaking the silence.
The initiation ceremony had begun.
.
.
.
Ting-!
[Affinity Updated]
-
Affinity with Ryan Parker has reached 99.
To reach Affinity 100, you must clear the companion’s side scenario.
Clear ‘Side Scenario – The Judgment Seat of That Day’.
[Companion Synergy Effect has reached its peak]
When fighting with Ryan Parker, the following effect is always applied:
Echo of the Giant’s Bloodline: Grants a chance to inflict ‘Stun’ on attacks.
※ Upon reaching Affinity 100, additional bonus effects and special rewards will be granted.